Reflecting

Can I just say that I am amazed at the way life can change directions drastically and still be so good?

Two years ago today, I graduated with a linguistics degree. Now I have a job in which the things I learned in my 11th grade anatomy class are more helpful than most of the knowledge I gained through my university studies. So I guess you could say that my degree isn't useless, but it's not necessarily useful either. (I started working as a medical assistant at a podiatrist's office almost 6 months ago; I'll have to write in more detail about all that another time.)

I guess I'm just realizing that I never would have imagined myself where I am now, but I don't think anything I imagined could have worked out this well and made me so happy. 

Grateful for Christmas Part 2

I doubt that I'm only speaking for myself when I say that being excited about Christmas does not mean I don't give Thanksgiving its due diligence. On the contrary, every day I am grateful to be a citizen of a nation where I can choose how, when, and what I want to worship and celebrate. Every day I pour out prayers of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for blessings, seen and unseen, which He has granted me. The main thing that sets Thanksgiving apart is that I get to gather with extended family and eat amazing food, and I'm extra grateful for that opportunity.

The point I'm trying to make is that, besides the tradition of buying tons of food to stuff our faces with, Thanksgiving is probably the least-commercialized major holiday we celebrate in America, and I like it that way. Maybe it's because pumpkins aren't exactly holiday-specific and cornucopias are weird, but it's hard to have a pop-culture Thanksgiving.

At least for me, Thanksgiving is kind of a personal holiday. Sure, I celebrate it with my family, but in reality, it's a holiday which can only truly be observed in my heart. No matter how many "I'm thankful for . . . " lists I write, no matter how many times we go around the table at the family meal, and no matter how many handprint turkeys I make, I can never truly express my gratitude for my blessings in words. The only genuine celebration of Thanksgiving is a reverent recognition of my God, His works, and His gifts to me.

And you know what? That's all the more reason I'm excited to celebrate Christmas! All of my blessings are mine to claim because of Christ. Without Him, I would not have any joy. I would not have hope. I may not even have good relationships with family or friends. I wouldn't have the gospel. And--here's the real kicker--I wouldn't have this world to live on, or this country to live in, or holidays to celebrate, or any of the necessities and superfluities that abound in my life, without His creations, His gospel, and our Father's willingness to send Him to teach us, to love us, and to sacrifice Himself for us. I hope and pray that no matter the season, I can have a spirit of gratitude in my heart at all times, that I carry my faith in Christ with me, that I rejoice for His life every day.

I am thankful that I have faith in Christ and that I can celebrate Him anytime.

Grateful for Christmas Part 1

Author's Note: I am trying to be more concise in my writings. I have a few friends who choose their words wisely and therefore have to use very few of them, and I'm really jealous of that talent. This post ended up being really long, so I split it up into two parts to make myself feel better about my failed efforts in brevity. The first half contains most of my silly comments on the subject, while the second half is more sincere. 

Here we are again, in that blessed month of November when the whole world fusses at people who are already listening to Christmas music.

Here's the thing. I believe in moderation in all things, so I will usually listen to Christmas music as soon as I feel like it, but usually not exclusively until Thanksgiving is over. That's just the way it happens to play out in my life.

But I also believe in agency--freedom to choose. That means if I want to listen to Christmas songs in October or watch Elf or A Charlie Brown Christmas in May or June, then dadgummit I'm gonna do it!  And I get sad when people criticize that choice.

First, let me say that I disagree with a lot of things about the way Christmas has been commercialized and shoved in our faces super early in the year. For instance, I do think it's odd to see Christmas goodies set out right next to the Halloween clearance, though it's not because I wish there were Thanksgiving decorations (more about that later). I also think some so-called "Christmas songs" (like "Baby, It's Cold Outside," "Winter Wonderland," and three quarters of Justin Bieber's Christmas album--all of which I still love) would be more appropriately called winter songs since I, like many others, see Christmas itself as a celebration of the birth of Christ, not as a winter festival.

But the first cordial cherry of the season throws any objections I have to early Christmas candy out the door. And if you like giving gifts, why not get a head start on some of your shopping so that Christmas Eve can be spent with your family instead of out at the store, frantically searching for something? And when the weather starts to chill and it gets dark at 5 PM, some of us need music that makes us feel warm, happy, and nostalgic, and Christmas/winter music fits the bill just perfectly.

People are always going to have different circumstances and preferences that dictate how they celebrate holidays--and that's okay. So if you're one of those who feels like Christmas shouldn't even be talked about until the day after Thanksgiving, that's fine! I don't mind if you feel that way. Just don't get your panties in a wad if I want to listen to my Christmas/winter tunes a little earlier than you.

Truth be told, if Michael Bublé, Stevie Wonder, or even the Biebs would put out a good Thanksgiving album, I'd jam out to that all November with no problem. Until that day comes, though, I'll listen to Mr. Bublé's version of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas any time I dern well please. On repeat, even. And I'll cry every time. Shamelessly.

Return

I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged. I don't think I've been this long without writing since I began blogging. I'd apologize for not giving y'all anything to read, but that would sound pretentious, so I'll just go on from here.

I'm back in Mt. Airy, and things are . . . well, they just are. I'll be honest, even though this is the place I've spent the majority of my life, moving back here has been an experience full of difficult adjustments. I won't go into too much detail because I don't want to complain, but suffice it to say that it has just been hard. The job hunt especially has been slow, laborious, and not very profitable. I suppose I knew that might be the case here, but I thought that as soon as I got in town, the yellow brick road would be laid out at my feet and I could just skip along it and find my way to all the green. I still know this is the right place for me to be, but I just have to trust that Heavenly Father has better things in store for me than I'd planned for myself. That's one thing I've always had to keep re-learning in my life; I suppose I'm not done with that lesson yet.

Anyhow, there is some fantastic news, though. I started one job about a month ago--I'm helping with an after-school program at my old elementary school. It's not very many hours at all, so I'm still trying to get a second job, but I absolutely love it. I love having some semblance of a schedule, even though it's only 3 hours in the afternoon. I love feeling like I'm worth something because I am helping students who really need the extra love and academic support. And oh, the kids! Even the ones who are, shall we say, "holy terrors" are just so adorable. It amazes me how attached I've become even after just 3 weeks of working with them.

Bottom line: Even though things aren't working out like I had hoped, this job is one thing that I can say for sure is a godsend. It may take a lot longer to get my teacher certification, but I know now that it will be worth it, because--and this isn't bragging; it's just pure fact--I was made for this stuff.

Anyway, in other news, since the last time I wrote, I've met my nephew, melted when my niece said my name (multiple times), and fallen in love with our new dog. All but one of my siblings came home for the Autumn Leaves Festival last weekend, I'm planning to make a trip up to DC in the next couple of months, and I'm working on a new blog (the link to which I will post soon). So exciting things are happening, slowly but surely. I'll try to be a better blogger. I love you, reader.

Answer your phone! Answer your phone!

Sometimes when you're cleaning out all your email folders to get rid of things that aren't applicable to your life anymore, you find some really great surprises. This was one of those surprises that made my day completely. To my fantastic friend Mark, thanks for bringing a smile to my face even though I haven't seen yours in months.